{
  "id": 809979,
  "title": "Safe havens protect Australian mammals from invasive predators. Why aren't they working for other animal groups?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/safe-havens-protect-australian-mammals-from-invasive-predators-why-809979",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-13T21:20:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-safe-havens-australian-mammals-invasive.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Safe havens have proven effective at protecting Australian mammals from invasive predators like feral cats and foxes, enabling the reintroduction of endangered species like bilbies and brush-tailed bettongs. However, these havens appear to be insufficient for safeguarding other animal groups such as frogs, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates. These groups face similar threats from introduced predators, as well as threats from rats and fungal infections. Current safe havens are primarily designed to protect mammals and often fail to account for the specific needs and threats of other animal groups. To effectively protect these threatened non-mammal species, new safe havens must be established on the mainland, taking into consideration their unique habitat requirements and the threats they face. Areas like the Victorian Alps, Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, and Tasmania's Central Highlands should be prioritized for future safe haven development. While existing havens can protect against cats and foxes, they lack the necessary protections against other invasive species that pose a threat to these vulnerable non-mammal species.",
  "summary": "Feral cats and foxes now roam across almost all of Australia. These predators are a major reason why many species have been driven to extinction.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}